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Post by gliptitude on Feb 6, 2013 23:19:25 GMT -5
The only thing I like about the Atari 2600 controller (also present in this 5200 one), is the rubber collar around the stick, at the base. Every time I've ever tried to play with one of these I've gotten pissed off. But I do wonder why no one else puts a collar like this on?
SNES is the best all around, most functional and easy/comfortable to use. The Vectrex original is awesome, full of character and versatility, definitely my favorite of any pre-NES console. ... PlayStation controller is in a way the be all end all hand held controller, appropriate for almost any use, and optimal for most uses, but lacks character and is a bit less fun.
The Vectrex controller is difficult to use with some games, but it is still more fun.
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Post by TrekMD on Feb 6, 2013 23:20:50 GMT -5
The 5200 controllers were the first ever to introduce a PAUSE button. That makes them quite special from that perspective. Their only fault is the lack of self-centering. That "fault" makes them ideal for playing games like Centipede, Millepede, and Robotron. In fact, there's even a special dual-control holder for playing Robotron that really makes it feel like you're playing in the arcade. Not even the Master System controllers were outfitted with a pause button. ;D But aside of the shortcomings (if you could call them that) in the 5200 controller design, many people complain about the controllers having a short lifespan. Has anyone here come across an inoperable 5200 controller? They do tend to breakdown often. Most of the time the problem is rust on contacts, which is supposed to be easy to fix. I replaced the controllers for the 5200 with the ones that have gold contacts. They work perfectly.
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Post by wyldephang on Feb 8, 2013 5:01:43 GMT -5
I hesitated to include this because I wasn't sure if consensus had deemed the Dreamcast worthy of "retro" status. But, thinking about it, the console will be 15 years old this year. If nothing else, the Dreamcast is old, and the only distinction between an "old" console and a "retro" one is the presence of charm. ;D So, is the Dreamcast controller a charming piece of equipment? Yes, and no. It's unique, for sure. I like the two expansion slots, and the window that opens into the VMU (Visual Memory Unit) bay is a neat touch. The D-pad, as expected, is very smooth, and the face buttons are as responsive as you could hope for. One minor irritation is that the cord is connected to the bottom of the controller; during gameplay, the cord will sometimes wrap around my wrist and become a distraction. There is a clip in the back of the controller with which you can reroute the cord away from your hands, but it doesn't work all of the time. My other reservation lies in the design of the analog stick. For most games, it feels unwieldy and slippery because it's positioned uncomfortably high on the controller--either that, or the main gripping surfaces (the side wings) are a bit low in comparison. Or, perhaps the controller is just too large. For reference, 8 cm lie between the Dreamcast controller's analog stick and the start button; on the Nintendo 64 controller, only 6 cm lie between the D-pad and the analog stick, and they're on two separate partitions of the controller. ;D More statistics: on the Dreamcast controller, there are 10 cm between the analog stick and the bottom of the grip; on the Nintendo 64 controller, taking the same measurement, the distance is only 6 cm. The Dreamcast has a larger controller, and I think the gameplay suffers from it, or at least becomes slightly more cumbersome. While there are some redeeming qualities, overall, I'm not very fond of the design.
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Post by TrekMD on Feb 8, 2013 8:14:24 GMT -5
The Dreamcast controller is unique, for sure. If I remember correctly, emulating the Dreamcast is a problem because of the controller design.
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